This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings of the same song and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st and 15th of each month and six days later, on the 7th and 21st, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.

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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!

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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

.But first off, I need to inform you that our friend Dixie ("Polka") of the blog DCRELIEF is feeling poorly and she told me that she won't be able to participate in 'BOTB' this round. Perhaps not on 11/15 either.

If you're a believer, please say a prayer for Dixie's quick and complete recovery. And let's all hope she's at least able to rejoin us BOTBers in time for the December celebrations and the festive BOTB installments that always occur. I thank you.

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GOODNIKS VS. NO-GOODNIKS

.Alright, now let's get on it, FORREAL...

Wackypedia sez:

"TheLookofLove"is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by English pop singer Dusty Springfield, which appeared in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale.In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It also received a Best Song nomination in the 1968 Academy Awards. [...]

Sérgio Mendes' hit rendition on the Sérgio Mendes &Brasil '66albumLook Aroundreached #4 on the pop charts after their performance in the Academy Awards telecast in March, 1968..

GODZILLA VS. KING KONG

.First up is Nina Simone. It was Nina who won the very first BOTB contest, which was posted by my friend FarAwayEyes (FAE) on July 10, 2013.In that first BOTB, Nina Simone clobbered Matthew Bellamy and his band Muse (8-2). Let's see how Nina does against her second White boy. This time it's trumpeter Chris Botti.

Normally, I don't like to match a live performance against a studio recording, but in this case, I thought this live performance by "Ms." Krall was 1,001 times better'n her studio recording of this song.

.Alright
now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section
below. And feel free to tell us WHY
you chose one song over the other..After
voting here, I
suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other
'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have
chosen and vote there also.
(If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two
shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice
– and then return to their blogs to vice
your voice
...vote
your vice
...voice your vote.) .Voice
Your Vote
@ ‘FARAWAYSERIES’
by clicking HERE.@
‘TOSSINGITOUT’
by clicking HERE.@
‘YOURDAILYDOSE’
by clicking HERE.@
'BOOKLOVER'
by clicking HERE.@
'MIKE'SRAMBLINGS'
by clicking HERE.@
'CURIOUSASACATHY'
by clicking HERE.@
'THESOUNDOFONEHANDTYPING'
by clicking HERE.@ 'DCRELIEF - BATTLEOFTHEBANDS' by clicking HERE.@ 'THEDOGLADY'SDEN' by clicking HERE.@ 'CHERDOONTHEFLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE. @ 'ANGELSBARK' by clicking HERE.@ 'JINGLEJANGLEJUNGLE' by clicking HERE.@ 'WOMEN: WESHALLOVERCOME' by clicking HERE.@ 'J.A.SCOTT' by clicking HERE.@ 'NOVELBREWS' by clicking HERE. @ 'HOLLI'SHOOTSANDHOLLERS' by clicking HERE.@ 'QUIETLAUGHTER' by clicking HERE. .As
I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog
bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and
announce the winners in the comment sections..~
Stephen T. McCarthy.

69 comments:

Holy crap, this is a tough one! I love Diana Krall's version and she does some mighty fine piano but I am crazy for Chris Botti's version. The trumpet seduced me into giving him my vote... Yes, definitely my vote goes to Chris. Mm, mm, mm! Great battle for sure.

Nina Simone and Diana Krall almost the same? Not hardly! LOLNice to see two famous Canadian chanteuses battling it out here. As much as I enjoy a man's trumpet, ;) my vote goes to Diana Krall. Her rich, alto vocals please me more than Chantal's higher register.

I've always enjoyed this song and have enjoyed it done by so many artists. These were new versions for me.

I enjoyed the smooth piano and vocals of Diana Krall. Even without the sublime vocals, a piano only version would have been superb.

The trumpet playing of Botti was outstanding and the vocalist on his version was very fine. It was that percussion that kind of got to me. Maybe it was the earliness of Sunday morning. The percussive effect gave the song a slow motion at the disco feel. Good but not as pleasing to my ears as the first version.

There are some live performances or videos that I find to be compelling. I don't think these qualify. Although, not for nothing, Michelle Obama looked like she was asleep every time the camera focused on her and The Hubz.

I thought the Diana Krall version was just fine. I thought her piano playing was better than her singing in this one. But, it didn't feel romantic to me in the way I expected this song to do.

The first time I heard Chris Botti was on FAE's BoTB many a moon ago. I shocked myself by voting for him on an instrumental piece (vs. a singer). When I saw that Chantal Kreviazuk was singing to this one, I thought, "Oh boy, I bet this is gonna be good." Turns out, I was right. I really like Botti's trumpet work and Chantal's voice. It evoked that romantic feeling and gets my vote!

GIRL WONDER ~Not to be overly political (and this is all about music rather than politics) but... Yeah, it wasn't an angry C.P.U.S.A. rally, so Michael... er-- I mean, MICHELLE was falling asleep.

Obummer is the president, so he was required to pretend that he was interested. (Easy for him, because he's been "pretending" throughout his entire life.) I'm sure Obummer was thinking: "Wow! Just imagine what Jay Z could do by sampling this song!"

Diana Krall is a favorite of mine and my vote goes to her absolutely! I have a lot of Krall's recordings - love her voice.I love the horn and the images in the Chris Botti version but the girl's voice in this version rather interferes with the instrumental.

I can't stand Diana Krall. Yup I said it-I don't see how she ever got so big. I did listen to both but where Diana Krall's version made me want to scream to tell her to open her mouth wider and actually say the whole word, I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Botti with his trumpet( nyuck, nyuck) and love Chantel Kreviazuk's voice much better. She actually annuciates the words. It was not making me squirm and it felt in keeping with the song and it's meaning behind it

I absolutely love your "fully open-mouthed" honesty, BIRGIT. Seriously! If a person can't speak their true thoughts on one of my blogs, then all is lost (because I've been doing that myself since 2008).

I don't pull my punches, and I don't recommend that others do it either.

Ha!-Ha!Well, shit, if they didn't give you credit for a correct answer... you wuz robbed, Brother!

[At any rate, we know FO' SHO that he wasn't born in Hawaii. If he had been, they could have produced a genuine birth certificate, rather than that ridiculously awful forged one that even a 12-year-old could have seen through!]

Well, skiddlely-doo, these two are pretty close to equal in my book. But since you're asking (you are asking, correctomundo?), I'm gonna give it to ya straight-ish.

A VOTE FOR MRS. ELVIS COSTELLO! I love her style of playing and though I usually am with meine Freundin, Birgit, all the way - it doesn't bother me how she holds her mouth. I'm usually scrolling down to read comments while I listen. So, I'm not even looking at her bird beak...

DOC CHERDO ~Correctomundo. I am asking. And when I ask for someone's opinion, I'm prepared to hear their honest opinion. And I don't need anyone to cloak it in a bunch of phony niceness. I can handle opinions 100% straight, right outta the bottle with no mix and no chaser.

And yer right, it's highly un-American of me to be paying attention to things in the political realm and - GASP! - actually thinking about them. I don't know what's gotten into me.

What a coinkidink (my aunt fanny) Ha! Also I have ten comments and not a one, including asked about TKOTPPH, but then maybe that's no as funny and I think. I am so sleep deprived and stressed I would probably 'laugh at a funeral'.

Anyway, I scanned the comments and loved whoever said they really couldn't stand Diana Krall (I think it was Birgit), i agree. Never could understand what was so hot about her.

Need I tell you outright who I vote for. Of course, you knew where my vote would land about a month ago.

At last look, my BOTB was running almost neck and neck, not what either of us thought, eh?

FAE ~I had a reply just about finished for your comment this morning when that Re(no)tard ran into the power line pole and took out all my electricity. I was about 3/4ths finished with my reply here, too. (Now I gotta try to remember what I was sayin'...)

Oh, yeah, TKOTPPH... I was wondering what that stood for, and I intended to axe but then... I forgotted.

So, what does that stand for? (Yeah, I know the last 3 letters mean "Poo-Poo Head".)

Yeah, it was Birgit who denounced Diana, and Sheboyganboy Six seconded her opinion. Or maybe you seconded it and SBB-6 thirded it.

Yep, I'm really surprised by how BOTH of our BOTBs are going this time. I figured we both had blowouts on our hands. Hardly so.

BOTB... one just never really knows for sure. I guess that's why we run the contests, eh?

I loathe Krall. She is so incredibly overrated, she makes U2 seem like the world's greatest band. Go back and listen to her off-key croaking just after the 1:00 mark if you doubt me. My GOSH is she terrible!

The perfect singer to serenade the Kenyan-in-Chief.

I bought one of her CD's years ago on a "friend's" recommendation and for some reason I've not yet throw it out. I guess it is because I'm a hoarder; there is no other logical reason.

If I have to let you know who I'm voting for, you've obvious never been to my blog. When it comes to Diana Krall, there is never competition as far as I'm concerned. And for the record, NO I do not believe Diana Krall and Nina Simone are almost the same person. You did ask.Thanks for using Diana Krall. You will be my best friend today. Everyone who votes against her, well. we'll see. ;)

JEFFREY ~The one thing I was absolutely certain of when I put this BOTB together was... YOU would be voting for Diana.

It's funny that this one went through three changes before I finally settled on Diana. First it was gonna be Botti versus Grover Washington, Jr. Then I switched to Botti versus Nina Simone. And finally I went with Diana Krall... just to make you happy, Brother.

I love the sound of Chris Botti playing that trumpet. Captivated me instantly. My cohort, meanwhile, just really liked Chantal's voice. As he so eloquently put it, "She sounds hot." She does. Almost as hot as that trumpet. Once again we actually agree, albeit for different reasons. Two votes for Mr. Botti and Ms. Krasdlinvzkjsdlkaj (I won't even pretend to remember what her last name is).

Stephen, thanks for the heads up about Dixie-Chick-A. I certainly will keep her in my prayers. I hate that she's not doing well. Now, did you and Fae coordinate this or what? I actually prefer Diana to Nina on this song; I thought Diana would get my vote, but it turns out I like Chantal a week bit better ~ nice vocals and instrumental composition. Cool battle!

CATHY ~Confession: Yes, FAE and I colluded on this one. We conspired. We were in cahoots.

About a month ago, she asked me to give her a good song to use in a BOTB. So, I got the idea that we would both use the same two artists on two different songs (one was Chris Botti and I forget who the other artist was going to be - Grover Washington, Jr., I believe).

But I couldn't find where both artists had two songs in common. So, then I got the idea to use 4 different versions of the same song.

But the surprise doesn't end there. Because on 11/15, we will conclude this experiment. These are just the Battles for the National and American League pennants. On 11/15, we will have a Battle for the World Series (of this same song). You'll see what I mean in a couple weeks.

I vote for the horn - er, Chris. I wan't too impressed with Diana for some reason (maybe cuz just visited FAE and Simone was soooo much better), but that horn sings the song expertly.

Been in a writing cocoon lately and not feeling very social so I did not post today. IWSG is coming in a couple days and that usually wears me out from blogging for several days. I'm usually on a blog break from Nov 1 thru Jan something, but have scheduled a couple book tours in Nov. Oh, silly silly me, lol.

That's interesting that you liked Nina so much more than Diana, when Cathy (just above your comment) expressed the reverse opinion.

Thanks for coming by to vote. (Yer not gonna BOTB in December?! What the---?! Well... OK... if you mustn't.)

HI, DONNA!

Hey, I wanted to tell ya... I went back to Boomtown. Didn't win on your slot machine between the Prince and Princess. But on the middle machine in the row of 3 just in front of your bank of machines, I won again! Last time it was $44.00. This time it was $107.00. Next time you're at Boomtown, try that Chinese one in the middle, just in front of your Prince/Princess row. (It's the one with a spinning roulette-like wheel above the regular slot machine lines.)

I think I'm about to quit my job. $151.00 in about 25 minutes? Sheesh! Why am I workin' so hard? I don't make that much in 8 hours of my "day job".

Ha, its hard to beat that kind of income, occasionally. I'll caress the little guy and seek my fortune next time I blow through. Friday actually, and if you've no better offers, you should totally sock away those winnings for our first date. I'll be all alone and lonely on my way through.

I read Robyn's comment and decided she was on psychadellics. Poor child's reliving the 60's and all those J's ya know. At least we both know a good violinist when we hear it :) Ahh, sing it baby!!

Friday, I have to work from 4:00 PM to Midnight at my old job. Earlier in the day, I'll be in training for the new job that's about to begin in a week or so (you know, the second job that I want to quit so I can just play that same slot machine).

Do you ever get to pick the day you come through Reno for your job? Or is it a set schedule you can't deviate from?

In a week or so I will have a new schedule with the new employer, so hopefully we can make that first date happen the next time you come through "The Biggest Little Hellhole In The World".

Though Diana's jazz version was entertaining, Chris and Chantal were the perfect combo for this song. Diana's version was missing something, but Chantal's voice with Chris on the trumpet provided the right amount of heat which makes Bacharach's song stand out.

Best Bacharach songs ever were when Kristen Chenowith and the teacher on Glee sang a duet of "One Less Bell to Answer," and "A House is Not a Home."

I really dig so many Bacharach songs! I'll have to try to find those versions you mentioned. Although I gotta say, it would be very hard for me to imagine I could like any version of 'ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER' better'n The 5ifth Dimension's recording. I am a big fan of TFD. In fact, I haven't listened to them in awhile. I need to fix dat!

Al Bondigas here. Sorry to be so late to the dance, but, had a busy week and didn't feel much like getting on the computer. I guess I go for the Chris Botti version. I liked the video a lot, and not having to see Odumbo in it gave it an additional 100 points. That's it!! That's my rulin'.

Stephen, my vote goes to Diana Krall, first I kind of have had a quiet crush on her for some time now. Second, she can hit those keys pretty nicely in addition her nice voice. On top of that she's married to Elvis Costello, who is no longer much of a punk, but then again neither are we. JW, Pooh

...AND POOHYou made it, Brother! You got yer vote in just under the wire. Now, don't you feel good, having voiced your vice? Er... I mean, having voiced yer vote?

I had you figured as a vote for Botti, because of the man's trumpet.

You know how every group of good friends includes one closet homosexual who doesn't tell the others about his sexuality for fear of being suddenly rejected? (At least that's what the movies tell us.) Well, I always suspected that The League Of Soul Crusaders' secret gay guy was you.

But now, seeing you voted for Diana Krall (admitting to having a crush on her), and remembering that you're married to a woman, I realize that you weren't The League's gay.

And with horror, it suddenly dawns on me that I'm the only League member who didn't get married.DOH! I must be the closet homosexual! (And to think I was always looking for signs to identify our gay guy and I never even realized it was... ME!)

Ha!-Ha! But no, but no, but no!Seriously, I did quess you would vote for Diana.And if I'm a gay guy, I'm the worst one of all time, being a poet who don't know it.

Hollywood would never make a movie about The League Of Soul Crusaders because we didn't have a token homosexual in our group of crude, vulgar beer-drinkers.

This one really surprised me a great deal. Why? Because I believed this was going to be a pretty massive blowout. I knew for sure it would NOT be a shutout, as long as Jeffrey Scott didn't get sick and die. (Actually, I suspect he would have even managed to get a vote to me from Heaven for the love of his life, Diana Krall.)

But, really, projecting my own opinion on this Battle, I didn't see much of a battle here at all, and was prepared for a terribly lopsided result.

In the end, it was much, much closer than I could have imagined and hoped for. It wasn't a "blowout" (one more vote for Chris Botti would have made it that), but it was a decisive victory for one of this era's greatest trumpet players.

However, to my happy amazement, this BOTB installment was actually tied after twelve votes - 6 to 6. After that, Botti began to pull away.

There were some very strong anti-Krall sentiments expressed in the voting. I voted for Botti, obviously, and I don't feel quite as strongly about Krall as some of my voters do but (with all sincere apologies to my friend and fellow BOTBer Jeffrey Scott) I kind of dislike her somewhat.

On a musical note (pun intended), I fully agree that it's a wonder she's as popular as she is, because I see no real reason for it. Oh, her singing is pretty bland to my ears, but her piano playing is fine - that's easily her strong suit, musically.

Nevertheless, there's nuttin' the least bit original about Diana's playing. Everything she does has been done before. Just as I wondered why anyone would listen to Harry Connick, Jr. when they could be listening to Frank Sinatra, I've wondered why anyone would listen to Diana Krall when (for the piano work) they could be listening to the "Maharaja of the keyboard", Oscar Peterson, or Count Basie or Duke Ellington or countless other Jazz masters.

And if it's the vocals we're yakking about, well why not instead listen to Ella, Dinah, Keely, Peggy, Karen, Nancy Wilson or others?

Now one more negative about Mrs. Costello and I'll stop (before Jeffrey starts hating me)...

When I went looking for a video of Diana Krall doing 'THE LOOK OF LOVE', the first I came across was the official video for the (greatly inferior and pretty bland) studio recording. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr8xDSPjII8

Wow! That was a total turnoff for me! Never mind that I am not the least bit attracted to Diana (there's a kind of self-satisfied smug look to her mug, it seems to me, anyway). I know some guys think she's hot, but maybe not as hot as SHE thinks she is. Could she have had any more huge close-ups worked into that video? Is it just me, or is that video a bit overly self-absorbed? Sheesh! ("All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-upS.")

Now, CHRIS BOTTI... Those who know me best might think I wouldn't care for him much (a rather pretty boy) but hokey-smoke can that guy play that trumpet! And he has quite a musical pedigree that I wasn't aware of prior to putting this BOTB together (check out his Wackypedia page).

My ol' friend MelNel burned me a copy of Botti's album 'A THOUSAND KISSES DEEP' way back about 2004 and I fell in love with it instantly. Man, that guy has a unique, highly-passionate and... SEXY... sound! I believe 'A THOUSAND KISSES DEEP' must be one of the very best modern Jazz albums released in the last dozen years.

I'm long past "romantic evenings", but lemme tell ya, if I were to jump back into the dating pool and brought some woman over to "see my place"... and if I poured us each a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to sip on the sofa (if I had a sofa)... and if I put on some low music to sip wine to... that music would definitely be the album 'A THOUSAND KISSES DEEP'.

Believe me, it would get hot in my place real quick (I thank you, Mr. Botti!). ...And then I would call a cab for my date, because I would certainly want to be alone with myself.

Diana Krall = 8 VotesChris Botti = 13 Votes

Don't get the wrong idea. Musically, I think Diana Krall is OK - I wouldn't object to listening to her. But I think her popularity is out of proportion to her talent. And Chris Botti deserved to win this round. Nevertheless, I ESPECIALLY THANK EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR DIANA (particularly you, Jeffrey - I hope yer still a blog buddy of mine). Y'all kept this one pretty close and made it a much better BOTB than I anticipated it was going to be.

I hope to see y'all again when I present a new Battle Of The Bands on November 15th. "Happy Trails To You, Until We Meet Again"... after that, yer on yer own.

Well, I don't know how 13 people can be so wrong to vote for slow motion jazz disco over the golden tinkling of a golden haired girl--or a lady if you prefer. Let's see, some guy blowing a trumpet over a passable fine looking woman tinkling on her keyboards. Well I don't know what else to say.

For me the truly definitive version of this song will always be the soft singing of Claudine Longet. She's the first one I ever heard sing that song. When I was in high school I saw her sing it on TV and I fell in love with her at that moment. Thank goodness I wasn't a famous skier and she fell back in love with me.

Nevertheless it was a good Battle with an interesting conclusion after some engaging debate.

Stephen, you are hilarious. And yes, I would have made sure I voted, somehow, after I died. But after the beating she took in your comments, I'd definitely be haunting you the rest of your life. LOL ;)No hard feelings, we are still blogging buddies. You've got your tastes and I have mine.

---> NOTE: COMMENT MODERATION IS ACTIVATED. <---All submitted comments that do not transgress "Ye Olde Comment Policy" will be posted and responded to as soon as possible. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Liberty

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STEPHEN = The first person known to have been martyred because of their personal testimony of Jesus Christ (Acts 6-7). My foremost allegiance is to my Holy King, Jesus, who has been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth, and to His God who bestowed it upon Him (Matt. 28:18; John 20:17). ----- T. = Thoreau, as in Henry David Thoreau, the writer and staunch abolitionist who, in 1849, penned the classic essay 'Civil Disobedience' wherein he wrote: "I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave's government also." I abhor slavery and injustice in all of their forms! ----- McCARTHY = The Wisconsin Senator, Joseph McCarthy, one of America's greatest heroes, and the most unjustly vilified individual in our country's history! His unappreciated, rebuffed efforts to expose Communist infiltration of our government transformed this embattled man's name into a pejorative catchword: McCarthyism. If you still believe that Joseph McCarthy was the most evil American of the Twentieth Century, educate yourself today. Go to... http://www.knology.net/~bilrum/mccarthy.htm ...and see how you've been misled.